"River"

When he was a young horse,

I took him to the river,

And, no, he didn’t like it much,

All snorty and a-quiver.

But over time the fear he showed,

For the water and the sand,

Was replaced by steadiness,

This horse was quite a hand.

Sometimes after the ground work,

I’d trot him down that way,

In the sand along the river,

I’d take his edge away.

And as the cowboy years passed by,

Sometimes I’d get a call,

There’s a bull out on the river,

We’d head out, I recall.

And then along the Brazos,

We searched for bovine track,

And with any luck at all,

We’d rope and bring him back.

Old pony started showin’ age,

The grandkids climbed aboard,

Sometimes rode him to the river,

Where they up and down explored.

I think the grandkids helped him,

The last job that he had,

‘Cause that’s when they do better,

Though it’s really kinda sad.

And then he’s old and gimpy,

And prone to colic down,

And I know that I ought to,

Find him a resting ground.

I thought why not the river,

And that’s just what we did,

In the deep sand ‘long the Brazos,

In the bend’s where he is hid.

And sometimes when I go there,

On the misty morning breeze,

I swear I see my pony,

Trottin’ through the sand with ease.

And, no, I do know better,

But sometimes I think my heart,

Sees what my eyes just wish for,

Since we have been apart.

‘Cause I loved that old pony,

And I love the river, too,

There’s worse things I can think of,

When life for me is through.

But maybe heaven’s waiting,

With the things we love the most,

The presence of the Lord, for sure,

And He will be our host.

Those years along the Brazos,

They meant so much to me,

Maybe I’ll return there,

I’ll have to wait and see.

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him,” (1 Corinthians 2:9, NAS)

The Lord is preparing good things for our eternal future with Him. Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for us. The best things of this life point to that, but cannot fully grasp the beauty. Only the Holy Spirit can give us a foretaste, a vision of what that is going to be. It’s beyond what we’ve seen, heard or even imagined. Thank God!

Lord, help us eagerly anticipate what is beyond our imagination, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Steve Boaldin, used by permission. Thanks, Steve, and God bless you.